Bought And Sold (The BS Collection)
by DandelionSea
Summary: When the monsters came to the Surface, you were very, very young - but you already know that, don't you? This is a collection of all the stories that happen in between or during the chapters of Bought and Sold. Following Sans, Papyrus, Melody and the Reader in their small misadventures in between chapters
1. Sans' Story

This story takes place just before the events of chapter six, Break In

Sans is waiting behind the dumpster. He's been hiding here for almost four hours. Three days ago he found out about the local slave auction house in town and, seeing as how he had found no sign of his brother in this place, he decided it would be worth it to check it out. If he was lucky, the place might keep some sales records with a clue as to the next place to look. Stalking the building, he found out that the place was almost never completely deserted (someone had to be there to keep an eye on the in-house "merchandise") except for one hour every night during the changing of the guard. Even so, the place was locked up tight, and, as he found out the other night, has an automatic security system in place to prevent lock picking or tampering.

So now he waits.

At around two am, the back door opens. Sans keeps perfectly still in his hiding spot. A younger worker comes out holding a bag of trash. Sans watches in silence as she opens the dumpster lid and deposits the bag before heading back inside, letting the door close on its own. Sans knows he has to move quickly. He takes the small piece of pavement he's been keeping in his back pocket and shoves it in the crack between the door and the frame. The door hits the rock and Sans rushes back behind the cans. He holds his breath. After a minute he knows she didn't see and he lets sighs in relief. He watches for the girl's car and when he sees the red minivan speed off he darts for the door.

In and out, that is his plan. If he's lucky, they won't even know he was there. He knew about the security system at the door, but the place seems a little small and underfunded for there to be cameras anywhere inside. He keeps his hood over his head anyways, just in case. He's seen himself on the human T.V.s - armed and dangerous they'd called him. Police are already looking for him, and he doesn't want any more attention. He certainly doesn't want them knowing who he's looking for.

There is one hitch in his plan that he knows of - even though he's been watching this place like a hawk for days, there was no way for him to find out what it looked like from the inside. Sans opens door after door, reaching the main stage, the back rooms, and even a supplies closet and a boiler room. Eventually, he finds a locked door. Seeing this as a good sign, he materializes a bone to pick the lock. A skeleton key, as he calls it. When the door opens he finds that it leads to a staircase. He supposes that maybe they keep their records underground, and he makes his way down the stairs.

He is wrong.

When he reaches the bottom steps he finds row after row of cells, each holding two or more monsters. He hides his face further into his gray scarf, hoping none of them saw his face - though most of them didn't even look up when he entered the room, either asleep or too apathetic to care.

It is the most depressing place Sans has ever seen. There were funerals with more life than here. The thought that his brother was housed here, even for a short while, would make his blood boil - if he had any, that is. How cruel were these humans to do this? How could anyone allow people to suffer like this? Sans shakes his head.

Sans shakes his head. His brother's not here.

The brokenness of the place coupled with his already nervous disposition made Sans eager to get back to his search, and he didn't see any reason to stay any longer. He makes it to the second step before he hears a small sound.

"Sans?"

Sans halts his ascent up the stairs at the familiar voice.

"ms. hare?" He says, turning towards the nearest hold.

The old shop owner from snowed in was sitting on the floor of the dirty cell, leaning awkwardly as if she had just woken up. She has definitely seen better days. Her normally pompous wardrobe has been replaced with a drab tunic that hung over her thinner frame. Her face was covered in grime, and she was missing one of her sharp incisors.

"Sans, is it really you?" Her voice was low and rough, but Sans could distinctly hear her hope and sorrow.

Sans thinks for a moment, then nods and removes his hood. "yeah, it's me."

Ms. Hare looked as if she could cry. "Sans, oh my stars, what are you doing here?"

"looking for papyrus," he tells her. "was he here?"

She nods. "Yes, I'm sorry, Honey, he was sold off a while ago."

Sans feels a little disappointment, even though he was expecting that answer. He is at least on the right track if Papyrus was here; it's closer than he's been in a while to the right path.

Ms. Hare suddenly lets out a little sob. "They sold him to the same person who bought Lisa." Her cries become a little louder, and Sans fears she will wake up more of the captives, though fortunately (and equally disturbingly) sobbing seems to be a commonplace here, and the most reaction it gets is monsters turning over in their sleep. Sans slips a and through the bars to comfort his friend. "They took my youngest, Sans. They took my baby."

Sans knew Lisa - not well but he knew her. She was always energetic and full of life. When they were younger, she and Paps went to grade school together. Papyrus often brought her back after school to play action figures and puzzles. In a lot of ways, she was a lot like Papyrus; optimistic and carefree, seeing only the best in the world. And now she too was some asshole's property. Sans felt his marrow burn.

"i'm sorry," he mutters, looking down.

Ms. Hare just sobs.

In and out, that was the plan, but to hell with that! No way is Sans letting this go on.

Sans quickly summons his skeleton key and it tears through the lock. Ms. Hare looks at him with wide-eyed confusion through the opening door. The rest of the despondent monsters notice that, and begin banging on their cells to be let free. Sans grabs Ms. Hare's hand and shoves the bone into it.

"get everyone out," he tells her quickly. "travel in groups of three or five - they can't catch you all."

Ms. Hare looks at Sans with stunned amazement, then her expression softens, "Sans, I-"

"N O W!"

Ms. Hare jumps and nods, making her way to the other cells. Sans rushes up the steps. This is going to cut his time dramatically, but he couldn't just leave them there like that, even if it meant that his search would be a bit harder. He rushes through the hall, trying the last few doors before coming across a green-carpeted room. There is a large oak desk in the center, and next to that, thankfully, is a filing cabinet. Sans just hope the man actually uses it instead of the computer, since breaking into that would be much harder, and he now didn't have the time for it.

Sans throws open the drawers and flips through the files. To his relief, the owner of this place is very organized. The papers are neatly labeled and it doesn't take long for Sans to spot the sales records. He grabs the files and flips through quickly. They are sorted by date, not alphabetically, and Sans feels a wave of gratitude to Ms. Hare for giving him a date to go by. It's easy to locate Papyrus' file from there. Apparently, he was sold to a man by the name of Pete Gabe, a professional slave flipper who buys slaves for their resale value. Under his name is his phone number, email, and the location of his house. He is apparently located in a small town that Sans has heard of in his travels. It is home to a large national space center that gets a lot of attention. He knows it is less than thirty miles from here, and he can't help but feel a wave of relief. His brother is close. It had only been two and a half months since he was sold, and with Papyrus' record that man wouldn't have been able to sell him again in that amount of time. Papyrus has to be there. He just has to.

Sans puts the records back quickly, fighting the urge to take them with him; he knows that if the police find out his motives it could spell trouble for him and his brother. Let them think he was just some vigilantly saving the freedom of his fellow monsters - like Undyne. He is no hero, but he doesn't mind people thinking he is. If it means his brother stays safe, that's all he needs.

Suddenly, there's a scream behind him. Sans turns quickly to find the source is the worker from before standing not three feet from him. Shit, what is she doing here? Sans saw her car drive off! He swears silently and summons several blue bones all around her.

" e."

She complies, barely breathing. A wave of hatred comes over Sans. This person willing aids in keeping monsters locked up like this. She may have even been here when Papyrus was here. Sans wonders if she hurt him. Did she taunt him? Spit on him? Abuse him? Sans huffs; she doesn't look so mighty now. "what's the matter, kid? don'tcha know if you work the graveyard shift you're bound to see a few skeletons?"

She looks like she might cry, and Sans almost laughs. Good. Summoning a blaster, Sans points it at her and fires. Just as he suspects, her LOVE is nowhere near high enough for the karmic retribution to kill her, but it certainly knocks her out. She won't be waking up for a few hours; Sans' only regret is that she probably won't remember that pun he said. Oh well, he'll tell Papyrus when he sees him again. It'll probably make him mad enough to forget all the danger Sans has put himself in.

Sans hears the a crash and the sounding of alarms. A wave of frustration comes over him. The monsters must have broken the front glass to get out. Sans now has less than a minute before things get ugly, and he makes a dash for the back door he came in before he's stopped by a tall lizard person.

"Hey, you're the one who let us out, right?" She says. Sans doesn't have time for this, and he tries to slip past her, only for her to grab his arm. "Your friend down there won't leave. She and a few others plan to stay."

Sans stops.

Ms. Hare is going to do what?

He quickly finds himself back down in the basement. Sure enough, Ms. Hare and about a dozen other monsters are holed up in their cells.

"Sans, dear," Ms. Hare speaks, voice thick with emotion and grief. "You'd better get going. I hear the alarms sounding. They'll be here any minute now."

"yeah, i'm going," he says. "and so are you."

She looks at him sadly and shakes her head. "No, Sans, not me."

Sans is shocked. "i don't know if you've noticed," he snaps "but there's a jailbreak happening right now. let's go!"

She shakes her head. "I can't, Sans. I've tried, by the Angel I've tried, but that was back when I had by children with me. They're gone, Sans, there no reason for me to run." Sans stares at her with disbelief. How could she just sit there and give up like that? Sans wouldn't just sit there and take it! He would... Do just that, given the situation. He looks around. Those left are battered and broken or old and tired. Everyone seems to have adopted the same apathy that Sans had had before leaving the Underground. Understanding sweeps over him and pity wells up. Ms. Hare chuckles. "Besides, my magic's never been that strong; I'm just not a fighter type."

Sans nods sadly and makes to leave, but before he does, Ms. Hare calls his name.

"Wait, there's something I have to give you," she says, reaching under her pillow. "He was taken so quickly, he didn't have time to grab it."

A flash of red. It was a piece of fabric. Sans instantly recognized it. He carefully removed his gray, tattered scarf and reached for Papyrus' tressured cape. Wrapping it around his neck, a sudden wave of relief and 'home' washes over him. Ms. Hare looks at him with an unreadable expression. "Good luck, Sans," she says. "And if you see Lisa, please, please get her home. And tell her I love her."

"will do," Sans says, knowing full well he probably will never see her daughter, but her face lights up anyways, and Sans is quickly wrapped in an embrace.

"Thank you," the sound is so close to tears; Sans is uncomfortable, but he pats her back anyways. It may be the last comfort either of them have for a long time.

"yeah, we've all had it rough. no need to talus about it."

Ms. Hare chuckles and rolls her eyes. Sans steps away, giving his old friend one last look before rushing out through the open door.

"In other news there was a break in at a local monster auction in Panaell. A rouge monster broke in and freed the monsters being held there, injuring a guard. Several of the remaining captive have confirmed the identity of the culprit as a chubby skeleton named Sans..."

The local news anchor went on for a small while, taking interviews from people who has seen the mass hoard of monsters running down the streets and giving a number to call if any of the still missing monsters are found. He doesn't care though. He has already gotten the information that he needs. He reaches across the hotel bedspread to a phone sitting on the night stand. The number is already programmed into his phone and he presses the contact titled "John".

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Tell your client that it'll be sooner than we expected. Two or three weeks, tops."

He hangs up the phone before John could reply. This was going to be easier than he thought.


	2. Alphys' Story

They knew things were bad the day Frisk left.

Of course, nothing had gone smoothly when the monsters came to the surface. Humans were fearful and aggressive, and the few monsters who were permitted on the surface at the time lived in small colonies. Alphys was, of course, one of those monsters. She and Undyne live with a group of monsters at the foot of Mt. Ebott. The group consisted of the couple, Papyrus, Sans, Asgore, Toriel, and a handful of others.

And, of course, Frisk.

Frisk, the human who started it all. The fallen human, the Angel, the chosen one, the savior; Frisk was the one who freed them all, and with nowhere to go after the barrier was broken, they decided to stay with their friends.

So it came as a huge shock when Alphys opened their tent door to find an empty room and a note simply reading, "I'm Sorry."

"Ngggaaa! That punk!" Undyne cries, nearly crumpling the note.

"I- I'm s-s-sure they had a g-good reason," Alphys says, taking the last piece of their friend from her enraged partner before she could do any harm to it.

"What good reason is there to abandon your friends!?" Undyne slams her fist on the table, cracking it slightly.

"We do not know what thoughts might have gone through their," Toriel says, hugging herself slightly. "It is important that we find them and speak to them, clear this whole mess up."

Alphys feels sorry for Toriel. Toriel's greatest desire in this world is for children, and every time she even comes close to fulfilling that the child is taken away from her by some unforeseen circumstance.

"WE MUST FIND THE HUMAN!" Papyrus' voice rings out. "THEY MAY BE ALONE, AND SCARED, AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR A FRIEND TO BE IN DISTRESS."

"maybe we should just let the kid go," Sans suggests, much to everyone's shock. "i mean, if they dont want to be here, then we dont need to keep em here."

The group bickers for what seems like hours. Alphys can barely get a word in, and when Undyne storms out, she follows.

"I can't believe that punk!" Undyne says, kicking a rock. "They just up and leave when things get tough."

"W-we don't know that's w-what happened," Alphys says, "We d-don't know what th-their life was like before. M-maybe they had somewhere to be."

"Where could they be more needed than here?" Undyne shouts. Alphys flinches, and Undyne cools off before muttering "Besides, if they had somewhere else to be, why wait 'till now."

Alphys can't argue that. Even she was a little upset at Frisk's decision to abandon ship, even if she can't blame them for doing so. Things were not well in the world of monster-human relations. The humans have started demanding the monster's return to the Underground, and while the king and queen were fighting, there simple isn't much that can persuade the humans. They had been hoping that having Frisk on their side would help - that having a human speak for the monsters might make the humans understand, but that was only met with accusations of kidnap and bribery. Frisk was at the center of everyone's attention for the past few months…

No wonder they left.

When everyone has cooled down, Alphys and Undyne re-enter the meeting tent. From there, preparations are made for a search party to be lead out to find Frisk. Papyrus offers to lead, but Asgore and Toriel decided that they will go after Frisk on their own tomorrow, feeling that Frisk may respond better to their parental figures for the last year and a half finding them.

With all of that settled, the party sets out and everyone goes back to their tents and settled in for a rough night.

Despite having her pushie under one arm and her girlfriend wrapped tightly around her, Alphys finds it impossible to sleep.

She wiggles her way out of Undyne's tight cuddle and makes her way outside. The camp is shabby at best, which only two half-finished structures in the plot, both of which are housing sick, injured and young monsters. The rest were in large tents and some even sleeping under the stars, though they were mostly doing to for the awe of seeing them.

Alphys makes her way to the edge of camp and tracks the constellations. Frisk had told her that each group of stars has a name and a story, and they vary from place to place, though some are more common than others. Alphys tries hard to remember some of them, but the words from months ago are faded and unclear in her mind.

"pretty aren't they?"

Alphys jumps. Sans is standing not two feet behind her. He has a habit of doing that - just appearing out of thin air whenever he pleases. It defies all logic, and whenever she asks him about it he just shrugs her off.

"Y-yeah," Alphys says as Sans walks up beside her and sits. She joins him on the damp grass.

"beats the hell outa those rocks back home," Sans laughs, though Alphys can tell it's strained.

"Totally," Alphys says halfheartedly.

The two sit in silence for a long time before Sans speaks up.

"you miss the kid?"

"Of course!" Alphys says. "Th-they're our friend! I'm worried ab-bout them. Aren't you?"

Sans shrugs, hands in his pockets. "kid has a right to leave. they didn't wanna be here. neither do we."

Alphys has a feeling that she only knows half of what Sans is talking about, which is not uncommon. Sans is a mysterious person, and he likes to keep to himself, though now Alphys has to know…

"D-do you… um… k-know why they… left?" Alphys asks, timidly.

Sans gives a strange look, somewhere in between reluctance and contemplation, then finally gives another half-hearted shrug. "i have a pretty good idea."

There is another beat of silence.

"You want to tell me?" Alphys tries.

"nah," Sans replies nonchalantly. "kid didn't want me tellin' anyone, and frankly, i dont wanna talk about it either."

Alphys lets it go. It's not important why they left, it's the fact that they did - though she can't help but wonder. Was it something she did wrong? Was she too pushy? Or was it someone else? Was it Undyne's rough attitude, or Toriel's protectiveness? Did they drive their friend away?

As if reading her thoughts, Sans says, "it ain't anything we did, al. the kid… had their own issues to sort out, is all."

Alphys nods, not understanding fully, but understanding enough to know that it is more complicated than one conversation could disclose. Maybe one day Sans would tell her. Maybe when the humans had finally accepted monsters into their society, and the underground is empty.

Although the future on that was looking pretty bleak as well.

Alphys and Sans sit there for a long time, just watching the stars. Eventually they start talking about them, telling each other about the constellations they remember and making up the rest. Alphys names most of hers after anime characters and Sans names is things like "fries", "burger" and "ketchup spill". The sun begins rising, and Alphys notices Sans is looking paler than usual, which is saying something considering his usual complexion.

She asks him about it.

Sans is quiet.

Alphys changes the subject. The night is beautiful, and it's transition into day is every bit as glorious as she has ever hoped it could be. [] It feels as if the moment could go on forever.

"HALT!"

Sans and Alphys sit up quickly. Loud sirens are blaring and bleary-eyed monsters are coming out of their their tents to see what all the commotion is about.

A regiment of humans are standing by the edge of the colony. The search party that has been sent out hours earlier was being lead back to the camp by the army of tough looking humans. Alphys' blood ran cold, and she quickly ran off to find Undyne.

"What's going on?" Undyne says at the door of their tent, rubbing her eyes.

"I-I-I- t-there- there are-"

"You, Monster girl!"

Alphys is grabbed by the arm. She yelps and Undyne summons a spear.

"Put her down!"

There is a small stand off between the human and Undyne, eventually the human sneers.

"We demand to see your leader," the human says authoritatively, shoving Alphys towards Undyne.

Undyne catches her girlfriend, and, after making sure she is okay, the two lead the humans to the King and Queen's tent.

"What is the meaning of this?" Toriel cries at the mouth of her tent.

"We found some of your kind running around outside a village," the humans' leader explains, motioning to the captured search party.

"They were sent out on our orders," Asgore says. "We are trying to a lost one of our own."

"You mean the human child you had?" The man bites. "The child you kidnapped?"

"That is not-"

"Did they finally escape?"

"No!"

"And you were trying to return them to your prison. You sick creatures."

"Enough!" Undyne cries. "You idiots! We were worried about Frisk! How dare you accuse us of harming our friend!"

"Undyne," Asgore says calmly, silencing her. He then turns to the man and speaks as calmly as possible. "Why don't we talk this over some tea?"

"We're not here to talk," the man says. "We have orders. Drive the monsters back under the mountain and take those who resist into company."

There is dead silence.

" What? " Toriel says, outraged.

"You heard me, creature; gather your kind and be ready to move."

"Please," Asgore says, "there have to be other options."

"Resist and face the consequences," the human threatens.

Asgore and Toriel share a look, then Asgore turns to Undyne.

"Gather the monsters, tell them we are returning to the Underground."

"WHAT!?" Undyne cries. "You can't be-"

"Undyne," Asgore says, looking down. "Undyne- please..."

Undyne looks heartbroken, but nods sadly.

"And please, try to keep the people calm," Asgore adds.

"Come on, Alphys," she says, taking her hand.

The pair help spread the word throughout the town, telling the people to pack up without giving much of a reason. By the time the sun is fully up, the monsters are being lead back to the mountain by an army of vindictive humans and a small fleet of armored vehicles.

The walk is long and bleak. Undyne holds Alphys hand for most of the way while balancing their things on her shoulder, but eventually has to let go of her in favor of helping out weaker monsters carry their possessions. When the group gets closer to the entrance, Undyne is called to the front. She gives Alphys a kiss and runs to catch up with Asgore.

Alphys is left all alone, and she feels nervous. Being in the back the humans are close to her, and she can feel animosity dripping off of them. She tries to keep her eyes ahead, not looking at the humans or thinking about the future.

After seeing the sun and the sky and the stars, Alphys doesn't know how she'll be able to live in the underground again. A sense of claustrophobia runs over her. She wonders if this is what the first monsters felt like when they were sent to the Underground.

Alphys hears a commotion and turns to check it out. Two of the humans are holding back a couple of monsters who had tried to make a break for it. The struggling monsters cry out in rage and fear, and several more monsters go to try to help. The humans open fire and, in defense and retaliation, the monsters fight back.

What happens next could only be called a massacre.

The humans kill several monsters before beginning to round up the others resisting.

Alphys gets caught up in the confusion and she is roughly shoved over with the other monsters and her arms are restrained behind her back. She hears her name being called, and to her horror and delight, she sees Undyne enter the fray. She calls out her love's name and Undyne seems to be running towards her.

Something is shoved over her head and Alphys can't see.

Alphys is lifted up and taken away. She struggles, but it is of no use. She can't get free.

Alphys feels herself being thrown roughly in where she can only suspect to be one of the vehicles that she had seen before. She can feel the body heat of several monsters and hear the strained cries of the captured. The ground rumbles in what Alphys can only suspect to be the car starting up, and the group is driven off away from their friends and family.

The holding cell is small.

There are no windows and the walls are painted a light grey. There is nothing for Alphys to focus on for the eternity that she is locked up in this room. There isn't even a clock for her to tell how time is moving. At first she paces the room, checking every crack and every tile more out of boredom than hopes of escape. Food comes through a slot in the door at regular intervals, and it soon becomes her way of telling time. When the sloppy sustenance comes the second time, Alphys is crying to hard to get up and eat. The next time something enters the slot, Alphys eats slowly for lack of something better to do, barely tasting the salted meat placed in front of her.

After four deliveries, someone comes into the room. They order her up and to follow. Alphys quickly complies, intimidated by the cold disposition the person has towards her. She is lead down a hall of holding cells just like hers, each with a number. The numbers are not small.

The person opens a door and ushers Alphys inside. Alphys finds herself in a room much like a doctor's office, except somehow even more sterile.

She sits herself on the chair and waits for someone to enter the room. Alphys doesn't know how long it's been since she was brought to the room when someone finally arrives. She is a younger looking woman wearing scrubs followed by two strong looking guards. Alphys swallows hard.

"Name." She demands.

"A-Alphys," Alphys says in a small voice. She jots something down on her clipboard; it seems longer than a name.

"Species." She resumes.

"Pardon?"

"What type of monster are you?" The doctor asks.

"I- I- don't… type of m-monster?" Alphys is confused. Sure, monsters look vastly different from one another but they have never been split apart into 'types'.

The doctor notes the answer and moves over to a table. Alphys fidgets in her seat.

"I- um…" Alphys begins, shifting uncomfortably. "I- I want to know what's h-happening."

"I am not at liberty to disclose any information regarding your detainment or the conditions of the outside world," She tells Alphys, taking an odd contraption out of a drawer and placing it around her neck before returning to Alphys. She places a cold piece of metal on Alphys' chest. "Take a deep breath."

Alphys complies.

The examination takes a very long time. Every time the doctor finds something she deems "interesting" - which is almost every single time she examines a new part of Alphys' body - she takes a minute to jot it down. Alphys sits patiently, waiting it out. She learned early on that any attempts at conversation would be met with either stoney silence or a quick order to keep quiet.

With the initial exam over, Alphys is lead to a room with much larger examination equipment and told to stand under them. This takes much less time than the physical, but it is much more strenuous, having Alphys stand in awkward positions for long periods of time and move from place to place.

When they are finally done with her, she is lead back to her cell. Alphys sat on the bed and curled in on herself. She feels used. Alphys lets tears fall for the umpteenth time in who-knows-how-many days. Alphys traces patterns into her pillow, making the outlines of her friends. She wonders if she'll ever see them again. Do they miss her? What is Undyne thinking right now? Does she miss Alphys as much as Alphys misses her?

It's another few deliveries before anything else noteworthy happens. Alphys' door once again is opened and a tall man is standing in the frame. He is wearing an expensive business suit, looking completely out of place with the two prison guards standing next to him.

Alphys rubs her eyes, having been in a deep sleep before the door opening had woken her. She had been dreaming of Undyne.

"You are Alphyus, correct?" He asks.

"I- I am," She says, not bothering to correct him on his pronunciation.

"Follow me," He says simply.

Alphys falls in step with the man, this time being lead down the other direction. There is a large pair of double doors, and for a fleeting moment, Alphys thinks she is being let go. But behind the doors is just another room. This room looks more like a waiting room - a desk and a secretary included. The man asks her to wait in the chair and Alphys obeys without question. Despite that, a guard stands close, eyes never leaving her.

The man and the secretary work on some paperwork of some kind, and Alphys watches curiously, but loses interest when their voices go so low she can no longer hear. There are two other monsters in the waiting room, a young dog and what can only be assumed to be his mother. They look frazzled, and Alphys can empathize.

The mother locks eyes with her and whispers, "Do you know what's happening?"

Alphys shakes her head.

"I've heard rumors," The mother's hushed voice sounds worn, like she had been yelling earlier. "They're saying the humans have-"

"Quiet you!"

The three flinch and fall silent.

It's not too long before the paperwork is signed and done, and Alphys and the others are lead out of the building. Despite what she had believed before, Alphys find that it is almost midday outside. She squints against the bring lights as she is lead to a large van. The group is lead inside the back, where ten other monsters were sitting in rows. Alphys stands to make room for the kid, who is reluctant to let his mother sit away from him.

The next time the Van stops, a pair of men in work uniforms entered the vehicle. The monsters inside watch as the men quickly examine each of them, giving them a quick once-over before stopping on the boy.

"Take him."

A struggle ensues between the mother and the men as they mercilessly separate her from her child. Alphys can do nothing but watch in horror as he is dragged off and the van starts again, mother weeping on the floor.

Alphys stays quiet for the duration of the ride, barely even looking up from her feet as the van took them wherever they were headed.

They come to another stop after a long period of time, and by then Alphys' legs are numb. A new person, dressed in the much nicer attire than the last, goes for Alphys' arm. They drag her out of the Van and Alphys finds herself in front of a large, official looking building.

The man who took her from the prison appears, holding a pair of handcuffs.

"Give me your hands," He says calmly. Alphys, too stunned by all that is happening, gives him her hands without a fuss. He clasps the handcuffs around them, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry," He mutters under his breath, so low Alphys almost misses.

The van leaves and Alphys and the humans enter the building. A feeling of dread wells up in Alphys' stomach that she can't quite seem to push down. Something bad is happening, and she has a feeling that she is about to find out what.

Inside the building, Alphys discovers that it is a courthouse. Apparently there is some kind of big hearing going on inside, because the place is flooded with new people. The whole scene reminds her of Metatton, and she feels a fresh wave of homesickness that hits her like a train.

The man leads her to a closed off room and lets Alphys sit in one of the chairs before undoing her wrists.

"Again, I'm sorry about that," he tells her. "Standard procedure."

"I-I-It's f-fine," Alphys stutters, more nervous than usual.

He gives her a sympathetic look, then reaches out a hand. "My name is Mr. Edwards. I'm a defense attorney. I am representing monsterkind in this trial."

"T-trial?" Alphys asks.

Edwards frowns. "This is a very difficult time, Ms. Alphys," He says. "My people… the humans are not pleased with the monsters right now."

Alphys swallows. That can't be good.

Edwards continues. "The humans are debating right now what the fate of monsterkind should be, and I want you there as a witness."

Alphys eyes widen. "B-but I-I-I can't ," Alphys says. "I'm n-not… not."

Edwards puts his hand on Alphys' shoulder. "I know this is difficult for you, but please, you're testimony could give this case what it needs."

Alphys locks eyes with Edwards for the first time. He's a younger man, no older than twenty-five. He looks nervous - desperate, even. Alphys takes a deep breath and nods.

"I-I'll try my best."

The handcuffs are back on as Alphys enters the courtroom. All eyes are on her, and she can't stop shaking. The fate of monsterkind may rest on her, and she's definitely not ready to have that responsibility again.

Alphys is sworn in and she takes a seat on the witness stand.

Alphys feels like she can't breathe. She can't do this, she can't! What if she messes up? What if the humans turn on her? Edwards gives her a little wink, and she calms down again. She can do this. She has to.

"Alphys," Edwards says. "You are a monster, correct?"

"C-correct," Alphys nods.

"How would you describe monsters, Ms. Alphys?"

Alphys swallows hard, then speaks, "W-we're kind and gentle - a-and really we're just l-like you."

Edwards nods.

"And up until recently, you were the royal scientist, correct?"

"Y-yes, that's c-c-correct," Alphys says.

"So you were a scientist?"

"Yes."

"And what did you study?"

"R-robotics and s-soul science," Alphys gives her answer and looks around. People are talking - whispering. She wonders what they're saying. They look like they're positive things. She looks back to Edwards and he gives her an encouraging smile, then turn to the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a monster scientist," he says. "One who has devoted years of study to her field, learning and observing the universe as any other would." he begins to pace. "Humanity is defined by its curiosity, by the need to discover and create, and as Ms. Alphys has just shown us," He gestures to her, "Monsters also exhibit this trait." He gives the people a moment to think on this, then returns to Alphys. "One more thing, Ms."

"S-sure," Alphys says, feeling slightly more confident.

"Do you have anyone you love?"

The question hits Alphys hard.

"Yes," She says, looking down.

"Can you tell us a little more about this person?"

Alphys swallows again, trying to fight back the tears. "S-she is smart. And brave. And b-beautiful. She… she believes in me, e-even when I m-mess up. Everyday I'm away f-from her… I…" A tear makes it down her face and she wipes it away.

"That will be all," Edwards smiles, "Thank you, Alphys."

Edwards rests his case and the lawyer from the other side comes for her cross-examination. She is definitely much older than her counterpart, and the experience shows in her confidence.

"Alphys," She says, looking at her with impassive eyes. "You say you were the royal scientist, yes?"

"I was," Alphys replies.

"And as the royal scientist, you studied souls?"

Alphys nods. "Y-yes, I did." The lawyer smiles a little and Alphys has a sinking feeling.

"What kind of souls?"

Alphys' heart stops.

"P-pardon?"

"I ask what kind of souls did you experiment on?" She repeats. "And I will remind you that you are under oath."

Alphys swallows. "Monster and… and h-human souls."

"Human souls?" She sings. Alphys nods. "And where, dare I ask, did you get these souls?"

Alphys closes her eyes. She does not want to be here anymore. She'd rather be anywhere else, even that small cell, anywhere that was not here.

"W-we got them f-from the fallen humans, ma'am," Alphys tells her.

"And did these 'fallen humans' give you permission to experiment on their souls after death?"

Alphys stares at her feet. "No, ma'am."

"I see," She says. "And how old were these humans when you collected their souls."

"I don't know," She says honestly.

"Guess."

Alphys wants to lie, she really does, but she knows everyone already knows the answer, they just want to hear her say it. So, with a deep sigh, Alphys says, "Adolescent or younger."

There is a murmur in the crowd.

"You see, our witness was not a scientist," she says, "but a child murderer. "

"Objection!" Edwards calls out. "That's conjecture."

"Sustained," The judge says.

The lawyer straightens her back and walks over to Alphys. "You knowingly and willingly experimented on the souls of deceased children, correct."

Even as she was doing it, Alphys knew it was wrong, so she simply nods her head and gives a weak, "yes."

"I rest my case," She says, returning to her seat.

Alphys is lead out of the room. When she passes by Edwards, he gives her a small smile.

"You did good," he tells her. She nods and continues walking.

She knows she messed up. She knows that because of what she says, the people in this room think she's a murderer, and honest, even she thinks so now. Alphys hangs her head as she is locked in the room from before.

Over an hour passes before the door opens up. Edwards is standing in the frame, hand running through his hair.

"It doesn't look good," he tells her, sitting down.

Alphys nods. She already knew that.

"The jury is still out, but… it's pretty much decided," He tells her. "The whole damn trial was a farce."

"W-what's going to happen to us?" Alphys asks.

"There's a lot of talking right now; nothing is certain," Edwards paces. "For now though, we need to discuss what will happen to you."

"Me?" Alphys is worried. What do the humans want with her?

"It seems that bringing attention to your scientific background was a mistake," Edwards puts his head in his hands then runs them down is face. "They want to kill you, Alphys."

Alphys feels sick.

"I- I didn't-" Edwards cuts her off.

"I won't let that happen, there are other options," He tells her quickly. "You could help us; use your scientific knowledge for the betterment of humanity. I'm sure they will let you live if you are useful to them."

Alphys thinks for a moment. She'll have to spend the rest of her life on the surface, indebted to humans. But at least… at least she'll be alive.

So with a heavy heart and a lump in her throat, Alphys nods.

"I'll do it."

Years pass and Alphys is passed from place to place, always serving as some kind of scientific assistant. She watches the world from a passive view, feeling helpless to stop it. She watches as the monsters are forced underground, as they are captured, as they are enslaved. The only upside was that Undyne is safe, resuming her post as head of the Royal Guard. Alphys doesn't know what she would do if Undyne was captured... or worse.

Alphys' life is lonely, but otherwise mostly uneventful. It's more than most monsters get. It is at her new post that things take a turn for the better.

A private astrophysics laboratory in the middle of nowhere - a seemingly normal job for Alphys. The owner is nice enough, and the rooms provided aren't too bad, if a little small. All in all, it's average.

It isn't until her third week working there that things change.

"...and this is the observation room."

Alphys looks up from the box of papers she was sorting. A small group of students are being lead around the room by one of the scientists. They must be the new interns. Alphys quickly picks up her box and scurries out, not wanting to be in the way. Unfortunately, she didn't see the small crack in the floor and ended up face first in a pile of papers.

"Oh no..." She scrambles to pick them up.

"Here," one of the younger interns appears in Alphys' line of sight. Alphy makes a small noise and backs away, expecting some kind of abuse from the new human; however, they simply bent down and picked up a handful of papers. "You looked like you could use some help."

Alphys nods and together they shovel the papers into the boxes. Alphys continuously watches The Intern, waiting for the other shoe to drop and for this all to be a cruel joke. There have not been many times where a human's kindness came without some kind of "retribution." However this human seems different. They are silently picking up the last of the papers, humming a little.

When they are finished, the Intern smiles and gives Alphys their name, "What's you're?"

"A-A-Alph-phys," Alphys manages.

The Intern stands. "Well, Alphys, I hope I'll get to see a lot more of you."

"L-likewise," Alphys says, meaning it.

The Intern paces off and Alphys feels something in her chest that she hasn't felt since the day she was captured years ago…

Hope.


	3. Frisk's Story

_Frisk ran away in the night. They stuffed her few belongings into a bag at dusk, visited every one of the sleeping monsters who had shown them so much kindness under the moonlight, and by dawn they were clinging to an uneasy sleep on a public bus._

 _They ran because they were scared_

 _The farther they got from the monsters, the safer they felt. The monsters in this timeline had always cared for Frisk. They never felt that their life was in danger; the monsters were their_ friends, _but with every day their fear seemed to consume a little more of their world, until it was all they could see, taste, feel and breathe. The fear wasn't of or even_ for _the monsters -_

 _it was of themselves._

Frisk gets the call at around noon on Saturday.

One of their students - their favorites, actually. Melody, an eccentric, hyper child who can barely contain own enthusiasm from bursting out - and often doesn't. Frisk instantly recognizes her number on their phone, and answers quickly, a trait they had picked up from an old friend.

"H-hey, Francis," She says, sounding embarrassed and a little sad. "I… um… would you like to come over and talk?"

Frisk is little uneasy coming over to her students' house. Most normal teachers would worry about people casting their judgment on them, however Frisk has other reasons not to want to be there.

Papyrus, one of the friends they had abandoned all those years ago, is now living there. The first time Frisk had come face to face with their long lost friend, they had been petrified with shock. They felt a dark void open up in their chest - a gaping feeling that opened to let darkness crawl up Frisk's spine and fill their vision. They were sure that even Papyrus would be furious with them for their cowardly behavior. Somehow, though, Papyrus didn't recognize them. Maybe it was age, maybe it was the fact that they spoke more now as an adult, maybe it was something else entirely; Frisk still cannot tell if they are relieved or upset by this.

"Why don't we come over to my house?" Frisk offers, but Melody decines.

"I'm sorry, I… I don't really want to leave the house," She says.

And that's how Frisk ends up in a car heading down the road to meet their student and friend, and maybe their other one too.

 _The Flower in their hands looked up at them with a scorning look._

" _You're a coward, you know that, right?" It said. "I'm not judging; I'm just saying."_

 _Frisk nodded, letting their tongue hang loose and unused in their mouth. There was no true justification for what they were doing. They could say that staying with the monsters was hurting more than helping, but that would be a lie. They knew the humans would see their leaving as an escape; many humans already thought the monsters had kidnapped and brainwashed them, after all. They could say it was for the monster's own good, but that too would be untrue. They had some control over themselves, it seemed, and there was no reason for them to think otherwise._

 _Except the bargain that they made._

 _The exchange that cost them their happy ending._

"I'm glad you could make it!" Melody's voice chimes as she opens the door. Frisk stands there with their hands folded neatly behind their back.

"I had nothing else to do today, anyways," they say simply, entering the house. Melody makes a small, excited noise and Frisk feels a ghost of emotions travel through their body. Frisk numbly comprehends that they can no longer identify it. "So what do you want to talk about?"

Melody babbles on with more glee than a child discussing their favorite item. They talk about several things - projects they are working on, designs they've created, and people who they like and dislike. Frisk listens to every word carefully, occasionally chiming in with their own opinion or affirmation.

Frisk notices several idiosyncrasies during their conversation. For one, Melody never fully smiles. Frisk often compares Melody's smile to that of Undyne's, with it's very toothy and over-the-top nature; however now Melody's grin looks almost solem in comparison. Frisk also notices the small spaces in between her thoughts that have never been present before. Her eyes go distant as if her thoughts are preoccupied by something unpleasant.

A feeling of uneasiness makes it's way into Frisk's conscious mind, and they will it away as best they can.

"Melody," Frisk interrupts her friends current train of thought to ask, "Is something wrong?"

Melody gives a sad smile.

What she says next is… unexpected, to say the least.

 _Frisk spent the next several years moving around from place to place. They made sure that no one ever knew who they were, especially not the monsters, to whom their name had become a curse. Frisk watched in horror the fates of her friends, helpless to stop it._

 _They watched as Alphys was sent away for her crimes against humanity, they watched as Undyne broke down, lashing out at random humans before she was sent back underground. She watched as the rest of monsterkind was forced back under the mountain, and she watched as the rest were enslaved._

 _Frisk was horrified… not at the fate of the monsters, they were horrified at the absolute_ numbness _they felt. They watched their friend suffer and they felt_ nothing _._

 _They wondered if this is what the two of_ them _feel like all the time?_

 _They don't really have to wonder anymore, though. This is what it is to be a creature without a soul, after all._

Frisk holds their sobbing student as they finish the last of their story. They end the story with their sibling going away to find a cure, but Frisk feels there is more Melody isn't telling them. It doesn't matter.

Frisk is once again reminded of how empty they are now. They know that if they still had their soul intact, they would be grieving. Papyrus and them had been very close, afterall. But lacking the ability to feel _anything_ , they simply continue to comfort their friend.

"May I see him?" They ask quietly. Melody nods and leads them up the stairs. Frisk has seen fallen monsters before, but seeing one they knew - the _one_ monster they had never expected to lose hope - lying so still on the bed before them… it was… unnerving?

His features looked very calm. To anyone else, it may seem that he was peaceful, but Frisk knows him. His features were never relaxed. He was always excited, always smiling. Without that smile he seems... unnatural. They remember the cheery skeleton they once knew. The one who always prattled on about puzzles and spaghetti and the royal guard… it was hard to connect him to the hopeless figure in the center of the room, just struggling for his next breath.

Frisk stands there for a moment, then turns on their heels and leaves. "I need to get back home," They tell Melody. "I hope you understand."

"Of course," Melody says sadly. "S-see you soon."

Frisk nods. Melody, too, has always been hopeful and full of dreams, now she just seems so beaten down… it's hard for Frisk to understand anymore. It is painful just how empty they feel now.

Returning home, they sit in the dark room and think. They moved here a while ago, but they never got to fully furnishing the house. It felt pointless and the time and Frisk still can't bring themselves to care.

"Frisssk!" Flowey's voice echoes down the hall. "I know you're here!"

Frisk rises to their feet and makes their way down the hall. They stop at Flowey's room and push open the door. "What do you want, Asriel?"

The flower scowls at Frisk, and bites out, "Don't call me that! I'm Flowey now, Flowey the Flower." Frisk nods noncommittally, and Flowey takes note, raising a petal curiously. "What happened to you? You look even more depressing than normal."

"Papyrus fell," They says toneless.

Flowey's face brightens up, and he explodes into laughter. "Oh my god! Oh my _god_!" He's almost crying now. "That's the most hilarious thing I've heard in _ages._ "

Frisk scowls. "Wasn't he your friend to?"

"Pfft," The flower waves a leaf. "Really, Frisk? I don't make _friends_. Though I will say he was _very_ entertaining... in a kind of pathetic way."

Frisk grips the handle of the door tightly, but resists the urge to run away. Flowey is the only person they have to talk to now. He's the only one who can understand them... well, besides _the other one_ , but Frisk hasn't heard a peep out of them in years. It's surprising, really, Frisk thought that they would _love_ what's happened to the world.

"So what made the looser drop?" Flowey asks.

"He found out about Sans," Frisk answers.

"Found out _what_ about Sans? Don't tell me that trash bag's dead?" Oh. Frisk had forgotten Flowey's isolation. _He_ doesn't know about Sans either...

Frisk shakes their head. "No, Sans is still alive. He is just... a criminal now."

Flowey's expression changed from delight to pure joy. If Flowey's laughter before was deranged, now it was straight up _psychotic._

"Wait wait wait," he says, tear in his eye. "You're tell me... that the arbiter of all morals in the underground is killing people now?"

"I never said that," Frisk denys quickly.

"But is it possible?" Flowey asks, genuinely eager for confirmation. Frisk thinks for a moment. While there are no deaths linked to him at the moment, Frisk knows Sans. He is a genuinely nice guy. He's funny (or, at least, can be), he's kind, he's patient... but if he were desperate enough... well, he's proven time and again that he is will to kill when he sees it's justified. Frisk sighs.

"I suppose it is," This incites another stream of laughter from the insane flower. Frisk stands patiently through his fit, waiting for him to say something even remotely coherent so the conversation can progress. Finally, when his laughter dies down into just a small hiccup of chuckles, he speaks.

"This is your fault, you know that, right?" Flowey says. Frisk nods. "We had our happy ending, everyone was _happy,_ Frisk, and then you had to go throw it all away. Why?"

"Why do you care?" Frisk says emotionlessly.

"Because I don't like not knowing, Frisk," He says, leaning forward. "You wiped my memory of that timeline, remember? Cause I don't!" He chuckles again. "The better question here is why won't you tell me what happened. What made you restart the game?"

Frisk takes a step back. "The answer is..." They say, pausing to give Flowey time to perk up, waiting for the answer he's been begging them for for _years_. "Because I don't want to tell you."

Flowey drooped, eyes dangerously lit now. "I don't like this game you're playing, Frisk."

Frisk takes another step back, exiting the room. Slowly, the shut the door and place their forehead against it in defeat.

"Me neither."


End file.
